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Haethyia
The Crimson Twilight Series'' takes place on '''Ragnarok, an entire geographical region in the world that consists of three continents: 'Haethyia to the north, Kassa to the west and Cirdarc to the south. The region is populated by a handful of unique races, each with its own culture and traditions. Timeline The Deep Gloam * 465–1 RF Haunting stories and fragmented legends are all that remain of this lost age, as no records have ever been found that detail what transpired during this time. It is said that darkness engulfed Ragnarok, and the few mortals survived by hiding away from the malevolent forces that roamed the surface world. Tales that this Deep Gloam might one day return to punish the wicked are sometimes used by parents to frighten their children into obedience. Since no evidence has been found of civilization prior to this age, certain religious zealots believe the Deep Gloam was the time when the gods created Ragnarok. Analytical minds, however, continue to search for factual evidence of what occurred during this era, as well as what ultimately caused the Deep Gloam to subside. The Emergence * 1–243 NW This ancient age is named for the emergence of civilization following the Deep Gloam. Its history was dominated by the Empire of Eheothage, the kingdom said to be ruled by the Valdraer—a mysterious race of powerful magical beings dedicated to the gods of Ragnarok. The Valdraer faded from history quickly, causing some scholars to question whether they ever existed at all. Abandoned ruins that extend far below the world's surface, as well as a fragmented tome called the Codex of Order, are all that remain to testify to their presence. Followers of the Valdraer, calling themselves the Tygrae, attempted to hold the empire together after the departure of the Valdraer. The mortal kingdom soon fragmented into scattered tribes vying for power, signaling the end of this historical period. The Early Kingdoms * 244–766 NW Following the collapse of the Empire of Eheothage, tribal warfare dominated Ragnarok. Villages and small settlements sprang up across the world, only to be attacked by rivals and would-be conquerors. From this chaos, the strongest tribes emerged to establish the first kingdoms. The Nahfamir, the Tribe of Derfiru, rose to prominence while more established kingdoms faced new challenges. An Ithuran expedition to the shores of Haethyia was massacred by the bloodthirsty giants of the Nveryll, who stole the elven ships and launched an assault upon Favnir Crest. The Korpokkur, whose influence had been rising, suffered a crippling blow as their religious caste, the Tynthin, was wiped out in a horrific massacre by the Zevrak. Perhaps the most defining event of the age occurred when an aggressive band of humans called the Kagaheta conquered their rivals and launched an attack upon the elves. The bloody war that followed resulted in the exile of the Kagaheta and caused a schism between the elves that would prompt the Novaec to seek a new homeland apart from the Veernaut. Zehleron Age * 767–1209 NW The Zehleron Republic was founded by humans who settled in the northern territories of Haethyia. Prospering in these resource-rich lands, the Zehlerons' wealth and influence grew until they became the dominant power in the region. As the once peaceful republic evolved into the Zehleron Empire, its wealthy citizens became greedy and decadent, conquering and enslaving neighboring kingdoms. Their influence extended through trade and conquest into the far reaches of the world. Ultimately, the oppressed tribes in Kassa arose and overthrew the Zehlerons in what would be called the Welehash Rebellion. As their empire crumbled, the fleeing Zehlerons unleashed a horrible plague upon the world that cost many lives, a time of sorrow which would be known as the Long Night of Weeping Eyes. Though the Zehlerons faded into the mists of time, the atrocities they committed would ever stain one of the darkest pages of Ragnarok's history. The Middle Kingdoms * 1210–2030 NW The downfall of the Zehlerons caused many of the world's great kingdoms to look inward and reflect upon their own values. Rather than being defined—as the last age had been—by a single global power, the Middle Kingdoms was a period in which the major races once again reasserted their individual influences. Several of the great kingdoms of the world arose or reinvented themselves during this period, including humans and the Alae. Apart from humans, the Alae and their leader Vulizril took to the skies, and settled on the floating island of Aeris where many historical events took place. As the final age before the use of magic became ubiquitous among the mortal races, the end of the Middle Kingdoms marked a significant turning point in Ragnarok's history. At its conclusion, the world stood upon the precipice of a profound change. Age of Arcana * 2031–2820 NW Overview Throughout the known history of Ragnarok, magic had been the world's most precious resource. For some races, such as the elves, the control of magic was intuitive, becoming a fundamental part of their culture. Other races, such as the humans, had no means of directly employing magic; though they could learn to cast spells. Most other races fell somewhere in between, and a kingdom's place on the magical spectrum had a profound influence on its overall standing in the world. But at the dawn of the Age of Arcana, everything changed. Magic awakened in the mundane races, shifting the balance of power in fundamental ways. A new era for the kingdoms of Ragnarok had begun. The New Kingdoms Having gained the ability to directly control magic, the human kingdom steadily grew in influence throughout the Age of Arcana. Port Vyberon became one of the world's great trading hubs, and the increasing wealth and power of the humans caused them to search for more land and resources to acquire. Human ships carried settlers northward where trading outposts were built near the Hathen River. The humans engaged in commerce with the Veernaut mages who inhabited Eldrith. A city called Rastow was founded in 2636 NW, and buildings soon sprang up in the area. As the settlement grew, affluent humans built expensive manses and had their children tutored by the mages, while commerce and trade flourished on the banks of the shores. At this time, the humans referred to the region as Crownhold, considering the lands to be under the control of their king back in Port Vyberon. Over time, Rastow became as prosperous as the Hathen River in its own right. With the proximity of the Scholia Arcana of the Azure Fields, more and more of the wealthy elite who made their fortunes in the trade of magical goods came to settle in Crownhold. The northerners grew to resent the taxes being sent to Vyberon, while the southerners looked upon the people of Rastow as privileged elitists who had forgotten the simple principles that made their kingdom strong. As the years passed, this division only deepened. In the winter of 2751 NW, Lucanaar Valteese set out from Port Vyberon to sail to Rastow to meet with the city's governor. A sudden squall erupted on the Dawnstar Shores, causing the king's barge to crash on the rocks of Titan Falls. Lucanaar's entire entourage, including his young daughter, drowned. With no clear line of succession to the throne, the human noble houses began jockeying for position to be named the next royal line. The heads of the major human noble families met in Port Vyberon to work out the kingdom's new political structure, a process that typically involved one house being anointed the next royal line while concessions were paid to the others with strong claims. But the philosophical split between the northern and southern halves of the kingdom proved too great to overcome: when the head of the most prominent northern family felt her house had been insulted by the southerners, she left the proceedings, followed by the other houses of Crownhold. In their absence, the houses of Vyberon chose Jereas Dalkia as the next king. The nobles of Crownhold were incensed by this move and refused to recognize the authority of Jereas. Instead, they chose their own king from a northern family, Rataxil Azarria. The first act of this new northern king was to declare "Azarria", an uprising sovereign state, free from paying taxes or homage to Port Vyberon. But to avoid overtly turning against his own people, Rataxil vowed to uphold the principles of his people and defend all citizens of the two realms whenever peril should threaten them. Though King Jereas refused to recognize the legitimacy of Azarria's sovereignty, he was reluctant to separate, but was forced to seek land elsewhere and quickly found it on the region of Kassa. It was during this time, Jereas' newly found empire of Dalkia claimed most of the regions of Kassa. Jereas came to realize that, though his standing army was greater, King Rataxil had deeper pockets to fund a sustained conflict. Although it incensed some of his followers, Jereas began a process of diplomacy to attempt to bring the people of Haeythia under Dalkian banner. Ultimately, Jereas efforts would prove futile. Upon the king's passing in 2786 NW, his son, Jereas II, took the throne and vowed to reclaim Haeythia by force if necessary. In response, the next Haethyian king, Rataxil II, rescinded his father's declaration of protection for Azarrian's outside of his own homeland. In 2814 NW, the Radalian Royal Family of Azarria traveled to Port Vyberon with a group of wealthy travelers in an attempt to persuade the town dwellers to build a kingdom separate from Azarria. Instead of denying an uprising of a neighboring kingdom, Rataxil Azarria II saw this as a potential defensive tactic (should Dalkia ever decide to attack Azarria), and prospered the idea of a separate kingdom. Crimson Twilight * 2821-present NW Continents Kassa Continent on the western edge of Ragnarok. The vast plains and hilly grasslands in the interior are home to the great Dalkian Empire. To the east of Dalkia the land is arid and largely desert. The Eajean Peninsula on the eastern portion of the continent is a crossroads connecting to Haethyia and Cirdarc both, and a strategic prize sought by empire and kingdom alike. Though Etheria controlled the peninsula for the last several hundred years, it was eventually lost to the Dalkian Empire in a sudden invasion. Haethyia Continent lying to the east side of Raganarok. Many towns and villages dot the hilly region stretching from the continent's interior to the shores of the Inner Sea of Tyranny, most under the direct control of Azarria. The Kingdom of Radalia, lying on the western edge of Haethyia, prospered here while keeping separate from its neighboring empire. Cirdarc Locations Azarrian Region * Lebruvar'' ''(I,II,III) ** City of Rastow *** Tri-Citadel ** Arden Village ** Titan Highlands *** Outpost (I,II) *** Allestar Bay ** Spires of Nveryll ** Trident Pantheon ** Sundered Vale ** Eternal Rift ** Coast of Gruifiere * Sievione'' ''(I,II,III) ** Mahtanael Caer ** Favnir Crest ** Hellfire Summit ** Orwic Dungeons ** Fallen Exodus * Eldrith'' ''(I,II,III) ** Eden of Frost *** Blizzard Falls ** Crescent Alps ** Perilous Straits ** Diamond Thicket (II,III) ** Baleful Tundra (II,III) ** Lostmist Fjord (III) * Uteorah'' ''(II,III) ** Deawaerla Passage ** Withering Downs ** Venom Ridge ** Cirque of Ysa (III) ** Hyperian Peaks (III) ** Mount Obsidian (III) * Adelia '(III) '''Radalian Region ' * '''Port Vyberon (I,II,III) * Haldmoen (I,II,III) ** City of Staham *** Bastion of Oaths ** Esseadhos Plateau ** Twilight Gorge ** Azure Fields * Wyssbryda (II,III) ** Dawnstar Shores ** Titan Falls ** Ohen Mountains *** Warlords' Manor ** Shadow Crag Ethereian Region '(I) * City of Chrono * Port of Ethereia * Ashen Wasteland '''Dalkian Region ' * '''Duxivar (II,III) ** The Imperial City of Shiva ** Ravenaste Highwaste *** Sapphire Lagoon ** Rallinth Cavern ** Arkbluff Plains ** Scarlet Chasm ** Hirador Mire ** Tormiklif Mines ** Albion Desert * Obrurn (III) ** City of Rathir *** Malefic Citadel ** Tomb of Eiriast ** Gerteklif Mines ** Crypt of Valstrath ** Shadow Marsh ** Raven Orchard ** Ruins of Chrono Cirdarc Region * Dire Woods (II,III) * Tyrant Quarry (II,III) * Ghostwood (II,III) * Desolation of Oblivion (II) * Pools of Ifrit (II) * Black Harvest (III) * Duskmoor (III) * Barrens of Tranquility (III) * Veiled Shrine (III) * Grizzly Pasture (III) Other Locations * Airship (I,II,III) * Thalassa (I,II,III) Gallery Artwork Hellfire Summit.jpg Malefic Citadel.jpg City of Chrono.jpg Twilight Gorge.jpg Arkbluff Plains.jpg The Imperial City of Shiva.jpg City of Staham.jpg City of Rastow.jpg Shadow Crag.jpg Dire Woods.jpg Warlord's Manor.jpg Veiled Shrine.jpg Venom Ridge.jpg Spires of Nveryll.jpg Sundered Vale.jpg Ashen Graveyard.jpg Esseadhos Plateau.jpg Eden of Frost.jpg Ghostwood.jpg Albion Desert.jpg